The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-01-29

poor as well as the rich going to gaze at
Fujiama, the pearl of mountains. No
person isso poor and no distance so great but
several pilgrimages are made in lifetime
tumn, when the golden rice and wheat and
the brown millet have been gathered, the
harvest festival is held in every part of the
country. There in the groves, on soft
green carpets spread by nature, under the
full harvest moon, they make merry, night
after night, with song and dance. At
these harvest festivals all classes, from
prince to peasant, rejoice together over the
ample winters store. 1t is not only in
this intense worship of nature that the
beauty of their country has nodded and in-
huenced their natural character 1t is
seen in their domestic intercourse. In all
the conventionalities of polite life they are
far in advance of any people in the Occi-
dent. This refined politeness pervades
every grade of society. Its just as notice
able among the lower as in the higher
classes. To be rude in word or act is to
become a social outcast The poorest
workers when they meet, greet each other
as politely, and pass the compliments of the
day as freely and feelingly as do those of
higher stations While the vocabulary of
compliments and blessings is a long one,
there are no words for curse in their
whole language. There may be hate,
jealousy and envy, but they find no verbal
expression. 1t is constant delight to
hear only pleasant words and good wishes.
The relations of masters and servants are
as admirable as possible. They are mutual
and confidential. While the servant
studies the interest of the master, the lat
ter makes the welfare of the servant and
his family his duty. The servant is made
to feel that he is factor of some impor-
tance in his employers business by being
consulted upon many matters of import
ance. The master is polite and kind and
the servant deferential and respectful on
all occasions. The relation of parents and
children shows the same refining influences.
There is no assumption of the authority of
the drillmaster, no exaction Of blind obedi-
ence, no ruling by fear of the parent
Obedience is induced by patient teaching
day after day. The child is lovingly
taught why he should do certain things,
and why he should not do other things
The bond between parents and children is
one of reason and regard, and the result is
that the child makes his duty to the
parents the formost object of his life, and
his own interests are made entirely second
airy. A foreigner might live in that
country for years and see less parental ty-
rapny and violence than he would see in
most families in some other countries in
month, than is observable elsewhere In
years,
Japanese ideal art is only reproduce
ton of the beauties of nature The artist
put mountains, valleys, waterfalls, lakes,
trees, flowers and birds on porcelain, paper,
silk, satin and lacquer, but beyond this
field of decoration he has no fancy. These
are some of the characteristics of the Is
land Empire and its people, but it must
not be inferred that these finer traits of
character mead efEeminacy, for they do
not. These peeple are brave and daring,
as all those whOwere reqfed among noun
tains have been y ali ages. They have
proved their title 70 bravery on many
"